Magic, maggots and music dance onto Shoctor stage with Matilda The Musical

Generally speaking, being an adult is a pretty good gig. But after meeting the spunky Matilda and her spirited classmates at Crunchem, a school for Revolting Children, a dip in their pool of pranks, class camaraderie, and parental pay back feels a simply delicious retro treat.

The stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s story opens Thursday at the Citadel (I caught one of the previews starring Winnipeg’s Anna Anderson-Epp as Matilda). If you or your children has ever felt the desire to crazy-glue somebody’s hat to their head, just because they deserve that, now is the time to indulge.

In a co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre Company, Matilda The Musical marries the comically nasty Dahl style with a delightfully cartoonish and colour-drenched set and costume design (Cory Sincennes) and kick-ass choreography (Kimberley Rampersad) that puts children in charge. Watching Matilda and her cohorts outwit (with virtually no effort) the selfish and stupid villains in the story is pure joy. Everything about the tale celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and the resilience of children.

This new co-production, directed by Daryl Cloran, began with a sold-out run in Winnipeg and will head to Vancouver in the summer. The cast and crew features a collection of Edmonton faves, including Andrew MacDonald-Smith, plus talented folks from Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The children in the cast (with the exception of Anderson-Epp, who alternates with Edmonton’s Lilla Solymos) primarily have been plucked from various musical and theatrical programs in Edmonton. They range in age from a mere nine to roughly 13 years of age and yet they completely, and confidently, command the stage.

If you’re never read the book Matilda, a brief refresh. The little girl is born to Mrs. Wormwood (Lauren Bowler) — an amateur salsa dancer who didn’t realize she was pregnant — and Mr. Wormwood (the seemingly double-jointed and stupendous Ben Elliott), who is embroiled in the sale of used cars to members of the Russian mafia. Suffice it so say they are absent except when expressing their extreme disappointment with Matilda, who eschews television for trashy books such as A Tale of Two Cities.

With life-saving imagination, Matilda crafts her own safe interior world, and shares her dreams and stories with an indulgent local librarian (Sharon Crandall). When Matilda enters school at the age of five, her teacher, the insecure yet sweet Miss Honey (Alison MacDonald), discovers the child is brilliant and does her best to share the news.

But the school’s headmistress, Miss Trunchbull (John Ullyatt) has been warned by Matilda’s father (who can’t seem to remember she’s a girl) that she’s a troublemaker. Miss Trunchbull — a former competitive hammer-thrower with a build and bosom like an upside-down pyramid, is determined to quash talent and pluck wherever she finds them.

“To teach the child, you must first break the child,” says Miss Trunchbull — a character who is tailor-made for the comic talents of the hilarious Ullyatt.

One of the most critically acclaimed and popular musicals of the last 20 years, Matilda has captured more than 85 international awards, including 16 for Best Musical, and a record seven Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards. At two hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission, the family-friendly show is on the long side for children, but its larger-than-life characterizations and extravagant light shows (designed by Gerald King) keep the story moving with ease.

While there is not a weak member within the cast of children, listening to nine-year-old Lucian-River Mirage Chauhan (a Calgary native and new Heartland cast member) belt out Revolting Children is particularly impressive. As the character of Bruce, he must also eat an entire cake, which is not as easy as it might at first appear.

Tunes such as Naughty remind children that they are born with a mighty gift — their own determination and innate sense of fair play. Parents, too, need a reminder that “if you sit around and let them get on top you, you might as well be saying you think that it’s OK.” When Matilda says “that’s not right” you can feel the gall rising, theatre-wide, and her triumph belongs to us all.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda, The Musical, with book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin

Theatre: Citadel’s Shoctor stage until March 17.

Directed by: Daryl Cloran

Starring: Edmonton’s Lilla Solymos and Winnipeg’s Anna Anderson-Epp alternating in the role of Matilda, with Alison MacDonald as Miss Honey, and John Ullyatt as Miss Trunchbull. Music direction by Don Horsburgh.

Tickets: Available online starting at $30 at citadeltheatre.com or by calling 780-425-1820.

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